Being a tourist entails a number of things. On the one hand, you have adventure and excitement, but on the other—there’s the notorious reputation of tourists heeding zero warnings and taking no guff in terms of respecting rules, laws, and customs. To an extreme degree, it seems.Redditors haverecently been discussing unwritten rulesin their respective countries that tourists always seem to break. And it sounds like some of these are often made very clear, and even that doesn’t help the case.This post may includeaffiliate links.
Being a tourist entails a number of things. On the one hand, you have adventure and excitement, but on the other—there’s the notorious reputation of tourists heeding zero warnings and taking no guff in terms of respecting rules, laws, and customs. To an extreme degree, it seems.
Redditors haverecently been discussing unwritten rulesin their respective countries that tourists always seem to break. And it sounds like some of these are often made very clear, and even that doesn’t help the case.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Stop asking how to catch a leprechaun. It’s trafficking, and they are a protected species under EU law.
Be quiet at memorials. Stay off the monuments.
Do not approach the wildlife in North America. People joke about Australia having all the dangerous animals, then will walk right up to our elk during rutting season and get gored. Same with bears, bison, moose. These animals are NOT tame.
Tourists come in all shapes and sizes, and the reasons why they might end up breaking a rule or two (or several dozen) can differ just as much.
NZ - No littering. A lot of us here will straight up scream at you to pick your s**t up if you litter in our beautiful country. Tourist or not.
In England please respect the queue.Jumping the queue will bring forth a seething rage and putrid hatred that spews forth tutting and a passive aggressive muttering rant that’s loud enough for others, but not you, to hear"Oh no you go ahead mate, I’ll just stand back here with everyone else, good job I didn’t have anything on at all….“The queue is so deeply entrenched in the psyche of the nation that during the 2011 England riots that lasted a week, during which the social fabric broke down, looters could be seen to queue outside the shops they were robbing.Please respect the queue!
No tipping - we don’t want to start the tipping culture here!
Bored Pandareached out to freelance tour leaderIrmante Sungailaiteto learn more about the whats, whys, and hows of respectful tourism.Irmante primarily works with National Geographic Journeys and private clients, taking travelers to a variety of locations across the globe—in 40 countries, to be precise, including Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. Irmante herself has visited over 100 countries at this point, but it’s not about the count—rather about the experience.
Bored Pandareached out to freelance tour leaderIrmante Sungailaiteto learn more about the whats, whys, and hows of respectful tourism.
Irmante primarily works with National Geographic Journeys and private clients, taking travelers to a variety of locations across the globe—in 40 countries, to be precise, including Mexico, Central America, Europe, and the Middle East. Irmante herself has visited over 100 countries at this point, but it’s not about the count—rather about the experience.
This one is highly specific, but here in the USA we have a monument called The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The changing of the guard always draws a crowd and you are supposed to remain silent. I’ve seen a few videos of people talking, laughing, etc. They tend to get yelled at. These are real guards. They carry weapons. They guard the Tomb 24/7/365 in any weather. Do not disrespect them or the Tomb. Stand silently, film, take pics, and that is all. Most of the videos I’ve seen of people being disrespectful were clearly Americans. Gods forbid these a****s go to another country and st all over other people’s traditions.
If the locals don’t understand English, raising your voice and saying it slowly will not help you be understood.
Do not pick up the cute blue ringed octopus, do not pick up the cute blue ringed octopus, do not pick up the cute blue ringed octopus, do not pick up the cute blue ringed octopus. Do not f*****g do this.
“I’ve seen all sorts of travelers—the most outrageous ones are doing something right in front of the sign that actually says not to do it,” elaborated Irmante on what makes some tourists break rules.“It depends on the person’s education and manners if they obey the rules, written or not. You can be wearing shorts in a place that it straight up means that you’re not from there. So you’re just giving yourself away. Yet, not following unwritten rules can be complicated sometimes, especially when you know no locals to advise you otherwise.
“I’ve seen all sorts of travelers—the most outrageous ones are doing something right in front of the sign that actually says not to do it,” elaborated Irmante on what makes some tourists break rules.
“It depends on the person’s education and manners if they obey the rules, written or not. You can be wearing shorts in a place that it straight up means that you’re not from there. So you’re just giving yourself away. Yet, not following unwritten rules can be complicated sometimes, especially when you know no locals to advise you otherwise.
• Don’t try and do a Scottish accent. Barely any of us talk or sound like Shrek and it just pisses us off.• Don’t claim to be Scottish just because your great great great great great grandfather was Scottish - newsflash, you’re not Scottish.• Don’t talk about religion - it’s a touchy subject with a lot of sectarianism between Protestants and Catholics.• Don’t mistake us for England, or ask us to speak more English.
In Medellin, Colombia, do not glorify Pablo Escobar. We don’t want to hear about the museum, the tour or you greeting his brother. It was awful for those who lived through it and there are so many other things to do.
If there are red flags on the beach it means “NO SWIMMING”Which also means NO SNORKELING. NO DIVING. NO SURFING. NO PADDLEBOARDING.NO BODYBOARDING. NO SELFIES ON THE REEFS. FFS.
The most common reasons for breaking rules, however, are failure to get to know the country’s rules and customs, and being flat out rude, as Irmante notes:“Tourists either are so ignorant and fail to familiarize themselves with written or unwritten rules when heading to a certain destination or are just straight up rude not to comply with social norms.”“They might feel that certain boundaries don’t exist to them and that way they cast a shadow of shame on all of the traveling community. Traveling with conscience, understanding, respect and an open mind is really the way to go.”
The most common reasons for breaking rules, however, are failure to get to know the country’s rules and customs, and being flat out rude, as Irmante notes:
“Tourists either are so ignorant and fail to familiarize themselves with written or unwritten rules when heading to a certain destination or are just straight up rude not to comply with social norms.”
“They might feel that certain boundaries don’t exist to them and that way they cast a shadow of shame on all of the traveling community. Traveling with conscience, understanding, respect and an open mind is really the way to go.”
Don’t pet the fluffy cows and stay on the boardwalks in Yellowstone. It’s actually a written rule, but apparently it’s too difficult to comprehend.
Use headphones or turn your volume off on your phone.
Use of sun protection, I know its technically the same sun, but it works a bit different here in Australia.
Besides getting into heaps of trouble themselves, thewilly-nillykind of tourists make those around them have to deal with the consequences of their actions as well.
Yosemite is in fact NOT Disneyland. You do need to wear more than flip flops when hiking up a cliff and the bears are not, I repeat, NOT animatronic.
More specific to my region: stand on the right, walk on the left.Stop blocking the escalators like a human iron curtain. The poor government workers have already lost enough of their souls, don’t make them mutter “on your left,” as you dawdle around in bewilderment.
Do not sit in seats reserved for the elderly, infirm, or pregnant women on subways and buses. South Korea.
And yes, it can get as bad as the travel sector benefiting completely and the people whose land and very soul is being sucked out getting zilch.
Stand to the side and let people off the train before trying to board the train. So many times in NYC I’ve encountered groups of Chinese tourists trying to bumrush the train as soon as the doors open.
Trying to pet the local moose.Look, I know it’s a majestic creature right in the middle of the city but it’s a really, really bad idea to start thinking it’s Bullwinkle and try to get a selfie with it.On second thought…you do you. Go give him a big old skritch on the snoot. Us locals will be watching…from way over there.
Please, for the love of god, don’t walk up the steps to the pyramids in Mexico. Aside from it being against the rules, it is taboo and incredibly disrespectful to the indigenous communities. Take pictures and admire from a distance but don’t climb them. And especially don’t get an attitude when a local yells at you to get off.
“How and why you go around the globe normally determines what sort of traveler you are. Traveling in groups with a guide or at least having a local guide can give such a great insight into not only how to behave in a certain culture but also gives a chance of a local insight that results in valuable local insight and amazing experiences,” added Irmante.“Traveling responsibly and being aware helps to avoid making a total fool of yourself and shedding a bad reputation. Being a blasé traveler could become a sustainability issue—but in a social way –traveling is precious and any connections we have on the way could have a butterfly effect—so let it be positive.”
“How and why you go around the globe normally determines what sort of traveler you are. Traveling in groups with a guide or at least having a local guide can give such a great insight into not only how to behave in a certain culture but also gives a chance of a local insight that results in valuable local insight and amazing experiences,” added Irmante.
“Traveling responsibly and being aware helps to avoid making a total fool of yourself and shedding a bad reputation. Being a blasé traveler could become a sustainability issue—but in a social way –traveling is precious and any connections we have on the way could have a butterfly effect—so let it be positive."
Don’t swim in brackish rivers in the Nortern Territory.Oh wait, that’s a written rule tourist’s always seem to break.
Irmante continued: “As a tour guide and tour leader, I introduce my groups and clients to the local traveling nuances. I make sure to empower my travelers and make them aware of the power they have to the local communities we visit.”“Being a tourist is probably the worst that can happen when exploring the world. Being in an area allows you to connect your culture to someone else’s. Make a friend in the destination you’re headed to, get a hold of a travel guide covering all of the odd habits, rules, customs and traditions, and at least google how you should and should not behave.”“Traveling and tourism is such a powerful tool of creation as well as destruction. As a traveler, you hold an immense responsibility to do it the right way. So educating yourself prior to the trip, connecting with locals or someone who can run you through the local rules will ensure seamless yet powerful coexistence and outcome of the travel world.”
Irmante continued: “As a tour guide and tour leader, I introduce my groups and clients to the local traveling nuances. I make sure to empower my travelers and make them aware of the power they have to the local communities we visit.”
“Being a tourist is probably the worst that can happen when exploring the world. Being in an area allows you to connect your culture to someone else’s. Make a friend in the destination you’re headed to, get a hold of a travel guide covering all of the odd habits, rules, customs and traditions, and at least google how you should and should not behave.”
“Traveling and tourism is such a powerful tool of creation as well as destruction. As a traveler, you hold an immense responsibility to do it the right way. So educating yourself prior to the trip, connecting with locals or someone who can run you through the local rules will ensure seamless yet powerful coexistence and outcome of the travel world.”
Do not go to Ireland and order a “Car Bomb” unless you want to be punched in the mouth.
Don’t walk on the cycling lanes.
Obey the signs seems to be planet wide.
“Ignorance is bliss, but not when it comes to respect, coexistence and witnessing the beauty of the world. It’s naive to think that traveling starts with everyone else but you. You as a traveler not only make it but maintain it and spread it to everyone around you. So don’t chew gum in Singapore, carve your name on the Coliseum, take smiley selfies in Auschwitz, bring archaeological artifacts from Iraq, climb pre-Hispanic structures in Chichén Itzá or dangle off a cliff trying to drive through Canon del Pato,” concluded Irmante.
No peeing in public!!!Source: I see specifically mainland Chinese doing this, whether it’s in Hong Kong or Toronto. It’s disgusting.
When ordering in a busy pub, please have your entire order ready. Don’t order two things, then add another one on, then go back to the table to ask Deborah what she wants. And if Guinness is in the order, ask for that first.
don’t dismantle the coliseum please
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You can followIrmante on her Instagramwhere she shares her travel experiences.Also, be sure to share some unwritten rules in your country or area that you see tourists shamelessly breaking in the comment section below!But if you feel like you need more rules in life,here are some more—also unwritten, also on tourism.
You can followIrmante on her Instagramwhere she shares her travel experiences.
Also, be sure to share some unwritten rules in your country or area that you see tourists shamelessly breaking in the comment section below!
But if you feel like you need more rules in life,here are some more—also unwritten, also on tourism.
Respect personal space. If I can feel your body heat or your breath… you’re too damn close!
Don’t walk holding your cellphone you are gonna get robbed.Do not f**k with people. Seriously you don’t know if that guy is just a normie or a high rank on the trafficking groups.Latin women are not objects no matter how little clothing we wear. Do not grope or touch someone without their consent.DONT TOUCH THE CAPYBARAS YOU CAN GET SICK.Dont feed the monkeys.
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They dont stay off the wet rocks and end up in the ocean
Don’t be a c**t
Don’t f**k with Canadian geese.And it’s always hilarious when they do.
A bit more specific than country in general, but in my home region: Stay the f**k off the mud flats. There are sometimes warning signs, but what’s frequently unwritten is the reason why you can’t go onto the beach– it’s made of glacial-silt quicksand. It will suck you down and never let go, and then the tide comes in. And you know it’s coming in, and you know you’re going to drown, and there’s nothing anyone can do for you, because you’re inextricably stuck. I frequently see non-locals or newcomers running about on the mud and I want to shout at them.
When entering our parks, leave nothing but foot prints behind.
You will not be able to see everything during your stay (USA). Even trying to see all that you want in one state can end up being a lot. This country is frickin’ huge.
Don’t suddenly hit the breaks and completly stop in the middel of the road because you see a mountain, a reindeer or the northen light. We all are going somewhere, and most of us don’t care about waiting while you fill your Instagram. Get off the road - take as many pictures as you like. Remember that in the winter it’s pitch black most of the day and slippery roads. It’s not a good idea to stop for no good reason.
Listen to the lifeguards when on the beach.The amount of drownings and rescues we have here because “people know better” than the lifeguards is appalling. We had the highest rates of preventable drownings for a decade in 2022, with slightly less in 2023.58% were men over 45!
if you bump into someone say SORRY
Respect personal space. No close talkers
Don’t take pictures of dead people at a funeral pyre. Saw a*****e European tourists doing this in Nepal.
Where there are seals, there are great whites. Those signs aren’t there for a joke. No one will rescue you because there are no lifeguards and/or the beach is closed. Also seals will [unalive] you.
Don’t feed the F’n seagulls! Or any wild life for that matter.
Do not block entrances or exits. When waiting in line, give the people around you some space, no touching.
Don’t f**k with the bison or The Grand Canyon. Both can kill you
Not specifically tourists, just Americans…. They say St Patty’s Day…………who is Patty?It’s St Paddy’s DayCalling us British/English won’t go down well in Ireland (Republic)
In Canada you say sorry even when it’s not your fault and you didn’t do anything wrong.
In Germany, the train or the bus wait for no one.
F***G. MOVE.I imagine this is everywhere, but keep your groups tight and walk with purpose. People will just stop in large crowds and completely block pedestrian traffic and not give a single fk.
Funniest sign I ever saw “don’t feed the bears… they can be dangerous “ LMAO like reeeaaally?? How come there has to be a sign!!
Do not strut into a random restaurant and expect to be seated right away in Japan even if they have a table open.No they did not turn you away just because you’re a foreigner.But they may have turned you away if you don’t seem willing or able to respectfully work through the language barrier to understand and accommodate that restaurant’s rules rather than immediately demanding service in English.Also, Japanese restaurant staff expect you to show them the utmost respect at all times, especially the higher class you go. Demanding, grumpy, or rude customers of any nationality will likely be asked to leave, or not even allowed in in the first place. And note that your normal attitude as a foreign tourist can potentially be misinterpreted as demanding or rude behavior compared to Japanese or long term resident foreign diners, so try and tone it down. This includes the volume of your voice. Speaking quietly will alone open a lot of doors that would otherwise be closed to you.If you want to explore, wonderful, but expect to possibly be turned away from multiple restaurants before you get in somewhere, and don’t take it personal. You are probably missing important cues (such as Japanese signs that say members only, reservation only, or reserved for a private party) that are obvious to locals and foreign residents but unclear to tourists. Roll with it.If you want to avoid the confusion and potential embarrassment, you MUST ask your hotel to get you a reservation somewhere.
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